World's First Olympic Athlete Paid in Cryptocurrency

Canadian speed skater Ted-Jan Bloemen has become the first Olympic athlete to be paid in cryptocurrency, following a deal with two new technology companies.

A ‘whole new frontier’

For the first time in history, an Olympic athlete has been paid in cryptocurrency.

According to CNN, Canadian speed skater Ted-Jan Bloemen — a double world record holder — has signed a one-year sponsorship deal with cryptocurrency-focused social network onG.social, in addition to agreeing to terms with virtual reality developer CEEK VR.

According to his agent, Bloemen is exploring a “whole new frontier” when it comes to Olympic athletes funding their pursuit of success, by accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment. He explained:

This is really a whole new frontier. It will be exciting to see how cryptocurrency can work for Ted-Jan, in particular, but also the impact it will have on the sport marketing industry as a whole.

Bloemen’s deal is fairly straightforward. In exchange for documenting and sharing his Olympic journey on onG.social and starring in a 360° virtual reality experience with CEEK VR, he is compensated in cryptocurrency.

Bloemen’s support for cutting-edge technologies is reflective of his proclivity for pushing the boundaries. We believe Virtual Reality isn’t just great for our audience (Ceekers) but will ultimately be used for training and maximizing player performance and potential.

Bloemen himself is also stoked to be at the forefront of new technology and new payment methods.